[Foundation-l] English Wikipedia ethnocentric policy affects other communities

[Gerard Meijssen]

Neil Harris schreef:
> Gerard Meijssen wrote:
>   
>> Neil Harris schreef:
>>   
>>     
>>> Gerard,
>>>
>>> The problem does indeed occur symmetrically, and while I phrased my 
>>> reply in terms of making non-Latin names unambiguous on 
>>> native-Latin-script Wikipedia editions, you might want to re-read my 
>>> comment, and notice the bit that said:
>>>
>>>   
>>>     
>>>       
>>>> Of course, to avoid any appearance of linguistic imperialism, the same 
>>>> facility should be available for users with Latin-script names to add 
>>>> transliterations in other scripts.
>>>>     
>>>>       
>>>>         
>>> -- Neil
>>>     
>>>       
>> I can only say that I disagree.
>> Thanks,
>>
>>       *ゲラルド・メイセン*
>>
>>   
>>     
>
> Gerard,
>
> Given that you disagree with both of my suggestions of possible 
> solutions for the script-incomprehensibility problem, perhaps you could 
> suggest a better solution to the problem, preferably one that does not 
> involve the users of every Wikipedia learning to be literate in every 
> writing system supported by Wikipedia?
>
> -- ኒለ ሃሪሰ
Hoi,
There is no solution that suits both of us. I disagree with the stance 
that people have to change their name in order to accommodate. When 
people are happy to do that it is ok. When they are forced to do this it 
is not ok. The key is that the user uses ONE script and is allowed to be 
him or herself. Given the amount of people around there is no chance for 
you to know if someone is ok even in Latin. You will have to check their 
talk page and/or edits. This applies here as much.

I did not react to the number game because I utterly dislike it. 
Remember, this is the Wikimedia Foundation where people are allowed to 
edit anonymously, and you propose to reduce people to numbers.. :( We 
are talking here about people from other projects. These people that 
also go to the English language wikipedia should be treated with respect 
and not with suspicion.

When you need a signalling system that someone is probably ok, then you 
can think of all kinds of metrics that could be applied. Reducing people 
to a number is ugly, requiring people to change their name is ugly. 
Creating a system with metrics is ugly. To me it is the best of a bad 
bunch. The saving grace of metrics is that it can be applied to everyone 
with equal justification.

Thanks,
    GerardM